Cooler device

ABSTRACT

A cooler device includes a base panel, which has multiple mounting grooves on the top wall and multiple locating grooves on the bottom wall, a radiation fin module formed by stacking up multiple radiation fins, each radiation fin having multiple mounting through holes and a root portion that is respectively riveted to the mounting grooves of the base panel, and multiple U-shaped heat pipes, each heat pipe having a first extension arm respectively and tightly fitted into the mounting through holes of the radiation fins and a second extension arm respectively and tightly fitted into the locating groove of the base panel and kept in flush with the bottom wall of the base panel for direct contact with a CPU or the like to transfer heat energy from the CPU or the like to the radiation fins for quick dissipation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cooler device for cooling asemiconductor electronic device or the like. More particularly, itrelates to such a cooler device which has heat pipes directlypress-fitted into respective locating grooves on the bottom wall of abase panel and kept in flush with the bottom wall for direct contactwith a CPU or the like to transfer heat energy from the CPU to aradiation fin module for quick dissipation.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

A conventional heat pipe-attached cooler device generally comprises aradiation fin module, a base panel, and one or more heat pipes. Theradiation fin module is formed of a stack of radiation fins and directlybonded to the top wall of the base panel with solder paste. The heatpipes are bonded to the radiation fin module and the base panel withsolder paste. If the base panel and the heat pipes are made of differentaluminum materials, a nickel chemical-plating is necessary beforebonding. This fabrication procedure is complicated, resulting in a highmanufacturing cost and low yield rate. The nickel chemical-platingprocess does not satisfy the requirements of environmental protection.

Further, when the aforesaid conventional cooler device is used, the basepanel is kept in close contact with the hot side of the semiconductorelectronic device to transfer heat energy from the semiconductorelectronic device to the heat pipes and the radiation fin module.However, because the heat transfer coefficient (K value) of the aluminumor copper base panel is smaller than the heat pipes and because the heatpipes are not kept in direct contact with the hot side of thesemiconductor electronic device, the heat transfer efficiency of thisdesign of cooler device is not excellent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances inview. According to one aspect of the present invention, the coolerdevice comprises a base panel, a radiation fin module, and one or moreU-shaped heat pipes. The base panel has multiple mounting grooves on thetop wall, and multiple locating grooves on the bottom wall. Theradiation fin module is formed of a stack of radiation fins. Eachradiation fin has multiple mounting through holes, and a root portionthat is respectively riveted to the mounting grooves of the base panel.Each U-shaped heat pipe has a first extension arm respectively andtightly fitted into the mounting through holes of the radiation fins,and a second extension arm respectively and tightly fitted into thelocating groove of the base panel. The second extension arm of eachU-shaped heat pipe has a flat bottom wall kept in flush with the bottomwall of the base panel for direct contact with the hot side of asemiconductor electronic device or the like to transfer heat energy fromthe semiconductor electronic device to the radiation fins efficientlyfor quick dissipation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the secondextension arm of each U-shaped heat pipe has a cross section fitting thecross section of the locating grooves on the bottom wall of the basepanel. After the second extension arms of the U-shaped heat pipes arefitted into the locating grooves of the base panel, the U-shaped heatpipes and the base panel are squeezed, thereby enhancing the connectiontightness between the base panel and the U-shaped heat pipes andflattening the bottom wall of the second extension arm of each U-shapedheat pipe.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the U-shaped heatpipes are fastened to the radiation fins of the radiation fin module andthe base panel by means of tight fitting. When the cooler device expandswith heat, the tightness of the connection of the component parts of thecooler device is enhanced, thereby enhancing the heat dissipationefficiency. Further, because the cooler device does not require anysoldering or electroplating process, the fabrication of the coolerdevice satisfies the requirements of environmental protection and doesnot cause any pollution.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the bottomend of each radiation fin can be directly folded up to form therespective foot portion. Alternatively, the bottom end of each radiationfin can be folded up and then crimped into an L-shaped configuration,triangular configuration, inverted T configuration or scrollconfiguration to form the respective foot portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective assembly view of a cooler device in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a part of the present invention, showingthe structure of the radiation fin module and the base panel.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the present invention, showing theradiation fin module and the base panel fastened together before theheat pipes are installed in the radiation fin module and the base panel.

FIG. 4 is a sectional assembly view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic end view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing the second extension arms of theheat pipes fitted into the locating grooves of the base panel accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 but showing another matching configurationof the heat pipes and the locating grooves of the base panel.

FIG. 8 illustrates a part of one type of radiation fin according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 corresponds to FIG. 8, showing another configuration of the rootportion of the radiation fin.

FIG. 10 corresponds to FIG. 8, showing still another configuration ofthe root portion of the radiation fin.

FIG. 11 corresponds to FIG. 8, showing still another configuration ofthe root portion of the radiation fin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1˜3 show a cooler device in accordance with a first embodiment ofthe present invention, which comprises a radiation fin module 1, a basepanel 2, and at last one, for example, two heat pipes 3.

The radiation fin module 1 is a heat-dissipation block member formed ofa stack of radiation fins 11. Each radiation fin 11 has at least one,for example, two mounting through holes 111 for receiving the heat pipes3 in a tight fit manner, and a bottom end edge crimped into a rootportion 112.

The base panel 2 is a metal panel extruded from aluminum, copper orother thermal conductive material, having a plurality of mountinggrooves 21 arranged in parallel on the top wall thereof for receivingthe root portions 112 of the radiation fins 11 of the radiation finmodule 1, a plurality of elongated V-grooves 22 respectively arranged inparallel on the top wall between each two adjacent mounting grooves 21,and at least one, for example, two locating grooves 24 formed on thebottom wall 23 for receiving the heat pipes 3.

The heat pipes 3 are sealed U-tube made of a highly thermoconductivematerial and filled with a working fluid or coolant (not shown) andhaving a wick structure (not shown) on the inside walls thereof. Eachheat pipe 3 has two ends respectively terminating in a first extensionarm 31 and a second extension arm 32. The first extension arms 31 of theheat pipes 3 are respectively inserted through the mounting throughholes 111 of the radiation fins 11 of the radiation fin module 1 in atight fit manner. The second extension arms 32 of the heat pipes 3 arerespectively fitted into the locating grooves 24 on the bottom wall 23of the base panel 2, each having a flat bottom wall 33 exposed to theoutside of the base panel 2 and kept in flush with the bottom wall 23 ofthe base panel 2.

During installation, the root portions 112 of the radiation fins 11 ofthe radiation fin module 1 are respectively riveted to the mountinggrooves 21 of the base panel 2, and then the heat pipes 3 are fastenedto the radiation fin module 1 and the base panel 2 by means of fittingthe first extension arms 31 of the heat pipes 3 into the mountingthrough holes 111 of the radiation fins 11 of the radiation fin module 1respectively and tightly and forcing the second extension arms 32 of theheat pipes 3 into the locating grooves 24 on the bottom wall 23 of thebase panel 2 respectively and tightly to keep the flat bottom walls 33of the heat pipes 3 in flush with the bottom wall 23 of the base panel2. When in use, the flat bottom walls 33 of the heat pipes 3 are kept indirect contact with the hot side of the semiconductor electronic device(not shown) to transfer heat energy from the semiconductor electronicdevice to the radiation fins 11 for quick dissipation.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the root portions 112 of the radiation fins 11of the radiation fin module 1 are respectively inserted into themounting grooves 21 of the base panel 2, a squeezing force is applied totwo opposite lateral sides of the base panel 2 to compress the V-grooves22 transversely, and therefore the root portions 112 of the radiationfins 11 are riveted to the base panel 2. This installation is simple andrapid without any electroplating, solder paste or bonding glue. Further,the mounting grooves 21 are formed upon extrusion of the base panel 2,therefore the formation of the base panel 2 does not require anysecondary processing.

Referring to FIG. 5, the distance between the two mounting through holes111 of the radiation fins 11 is greater than the distance between thetwo locating grooves 24 of the base panel 2. After the two heat pipes 3are installed in the radiation fin module 1 and the base panel 2, theflat bottom walls 33 of the two heat pipes 3 are kept close to eachother, and the two heat pipes 3 show a V-shaped profile when the coolerdevice is viewed from one end. When the cooler device is equipped withthree heat pipes 3, the flat bottom walls 33 of the three heat pipes 3are kept close to one another, and the three heat pipes 3 show aW-shaped profile when the cooler device is viewed from one end. Whenmore than three heat pipes 3 are used, the flat bottom walls 33 of thethree heat pipes 3 are still kept close to one another. Because the flatbottom walls 33 of the heat pipes 3 are kept close to one another, theycan be closely attached to the hot side of the semiconductor electronicdevice to transfer heat energy from the semiconductor electronic deviceto the radiation fins 11 rapidly and efficiently.

Further, the locating grooves 24 of the base panel 2 are configuredaccording to the cross section of the heat pipes 3. The heat pipes 3 canbe made to have a polygonal cross section (see FIG. 6), circular crosssection (see FIG. 7), rectangular cross section (not shown), triangularcross section (not shown) or any of a variety of other shapes. After theheat pipes 3 are installed in the locating grooves 24, the bottom sideof each heat pipe 3 is flattened to form the respective flat bottom wall33.

Further, the root portion 112 of each radiation fin 11 may be variouslyshaped. For example, the bottom end of each radiation fin 11 may befolded up and then crimped to form a root portion 112 in L-shapedconfiguration (see FIG. 8); the bottom end of each radiation fin 11 maybe folded up and then crimped to form a root portion 112 in triangularconfiguration (see FIG. 9); the bottom end of each radiation fin 11 maybe folded up and then crimped to form a root portion 112 in inverted Tconfiguration (see FIG. 10); the bottom end of each radiation fin 11 maybe scrolled to form a root portion 112 in scroll configuration (see FIG.11).

Further, the radiation fin module 1, the base panel 2 and the heat pipes3 are fastened together by means of tight fitting. When the coolerdevice expands with heat, the tightness of the connection of thecomponent parts of the cooler device is enhanced, thereby enhancing theheat dissipation efficiency. Further, because the cooler device does notrequire any soldering or electroplating process, the fabrication of thecooler device satisfies the requirements of environmental protection anddoes not cause any pollution.

The invention may be used with any conventional fixture, bracket ormounting frame for installation in a circuit board or assigned locationaccording to the device to be cooled. To enhance the heat dissipationefficiency, the cooler device may be mounted with an electric fan ormultiple electric fans.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described indetail for purposes of illustration, various modifications andenhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except asby the appended claims.

1. A cooler device, comprising a base panel, a radiation fin modulemounted on said base panel, and at least one heat pipe fastened to saidbase panel and said radiation fin module and adapted for transferringheat energy from an external semiconductor electronic device to saidradiation fin module, each said heat pipe being an enclosed metal tubefilled with a working fluid, wherein: said radiation fin module isformed of a plurality of radiation fins arranged in a stack, each saidradiation fin having at least one mounting through hole cut through twoopposite sides thereof for receiving said heat pipes in a tight fitmanner and a bottom end terminating in a root portion; said base panelis extruded from a metal material, comprising a plurality of mountinggrooves formed on a top wall thereof and respectively forced intoengagement with the root portions of said radiation fins of saidradiation fin module and at least one locating groove formed on a bottomwall thereof; and said at least one heat pipe each has a first extensionarm respectively inserted through the at least one mounting through holeof each said radiation fin in a tight fit manner and a second extensionarm respectively fitted into the at least one locating groove of saidbase panel, said second extension arm having a flat bottom wall exposedto the outside of said base panel and kept in flush with the bottom wallof said base panel.
 2. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid base panel comprises a plurality of elongated grooves formed on thetop wall thereof and respectively disposed between each two adjacentmounting grooves of said base panel.
 3. The cooler device as claimed inclaim 2, wherein said elongated grooves have a V-shaped cross section.4. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said radiationfin comprises a plurality of mounting through holes for the mounting ofthe first extension arms of multiple heat pipes; said base panelcomprises a plurality of locating grooves on the bottom wall thereof forthe mounting of the second extension arms of multiple heat pipes; thedistance between each two adjacent locating grooves of said base panelis shorter than the distance between each two adjacent mounting throughholes of each said radiation fin.
 5. The cooler device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the second extension arm of each said heat pipe has across section that fits the cross section of each locating groove on thebottom wall of said base panel.
 6. The cooler device as claimed in claim1, wherein the bottom end of each said radiation fin is folded up toform the respective root portion.
 7. The cooler device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the bottom end of each said radiation fin is folded upand crimped into an L-shaped configuration to form the respective footportion.
 8. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottomend of each said radiation fin is folded up and crimped into atriangular configuration to form the respective foot portion.
 9. Thecooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom end of each saidradiation fin is folded up and crimped into an inverted T configurationto form the respective foot portion.
 10. The cooler device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the bottom end of each said radiation fin is folded upand crimped into a scroll configuration to form the respective footportion.